The invention is related to a lighting device with at least one illuminant unit for vehicles, preferably motor vehicles, according the German patent application DE 102006021973.2, which is incorporated by reference.
Lighting devices with illuminant carriers, in which LEDs are disposed on circuit boards, are known. These circuit boards may have conductive paths on both surfaces of the circuit board, whereby the circuit board material is typically resin impregnated board, fiber-reinforced resin, and/or ceramics. The circuit boards have conductive tracks that serve for contacting and positioning of the LEDs. Furthermore, additional electronic components are frequently disposed on the circuit boards in addition to the LEDs.
The assembly of the LEDs onto a circuit board into an illuminant unit for the utilization in lighting devices is highly intricate due to the LEDs' requiring to be brought into an exact installation position. Such illuminant units require extensive installation space in lighting devices, which makes the lighting devices or their respective lighting device housings complicated and bulky. Curved lighting device housings furthermore require that the circuit boards be provided in individual segments, requiring positioning according to the lighting device/housing contour. This requires a plurality of fastening and positioning means, typically rendering the lighting device/housing very complex and expensive.
Such conventional lighting devices or illuminant units are not self-contained components, but rather require additional components for their optically efficient functioning that also need securing and fastening within the lighting device and/or its housing. The dimensions of all components relative to each other are of paramount importance, as even small variances can produce large optical errors. Due to the large installation space required, these lighting devices, or their housings need to be configured appropriately spacious corresponding to the additional elements to be installed. The resulting additional complexity causes weight increase and higher material use and, considering the increased assembly labor cost, leads to a significant cost increase for the complete Module. Additionally, these parameters have a significantly restrictive impact on the design options, or allow the implementation of specific designs only through extreme engineering and fabrication measures.